The use of mirror-bend achromats (MBAs) has been proposed in energy recover linear accelerators (ERLs) for manipulating the path of charged particles. The MBA is typically a linear, large acceptance beam deflection system. The effectiveness of the MBA is, however, limited by the restricted range of momentum compactions available in the conventional mirror-bend design.
In a conventional mirror-bend design, the compactions are completely constrained by the gross MBA geometry, including the bend radius and angle, and are inherently positive and linear. As a result, the conventional MBA necessitates the use of additional bending modules, such as chicanes, when correction of aberrations or negative compactions is necessary.
What is needed for compact ERLs and similar particle accelerators is a design methodology freeing the MBA from both the close coupling of compaction to bend geometry and the inherently positive compaction.